Pitta-like Ground-Roller
Atelornis pittoides
Chunky, long-legged, colorful bird. White shoulder marks are conspicuous in flight. Less shy and more approachable than the other ground-rollers. Found in eastern and northern rainforest and in adjacent scrub. Feeds in the understory, avoiding disturbance by fleeing on the ground or making short flights. Song is a quick “bwuup” note that is repeated slowly, delivered from a perch in the mid-story. Lacks the intricate scaly marks of Scaly Ground-Roller and the rufous head and body of Rufous-headed Ground-Roller.
Identification
The pitta-like ground roller is a small and slender member of the family, 25 to 29 cm (9.8–11.4 in) long and weighing 74–114 g (2.6–4.0 oz). It has a cobalt-blue head with a black mask and a white supercilium and throat, which is bordered in blue. The upperparts are bronzy green and the belly is white with buff flanks, and the breast and back have a rufous band.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Atelornis pittoides
- Authority
- (Lafresnaye, 1834)
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Brachypteraciidae
- Genus
- Atelornis
Range and habitat
The pitta-like ground roller is endemic to the eastern half of Madagascar, from the extreme north to the southern edge, and has the widest distribution of any member of the family. It also has a wider range of habitats that it is prepared to occupy, being found in all natural rainforest types on the island from sea-level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft), although it is commonest between 800–1,600 m (2,600–5,200 ft). It can also appear in smaller numbers in degraded secondary forest. It is generally non-migratory but changes in numbers linked to the weather have been noted so some undescribed movements may be happening.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The pitta-like ground roller is terrestrial and feeds on the ground, taking a range of prey, particularly insects such as ants, beetles, cockroaches and butterflies. It also takes worms and small reptiles such as chameleons and frogs. It hunts by standing motionless and watching, followed by short runs to take a new position. Once prey is located it sallies or runs towards it to take it.<p>The pitta-like ground roller is a seasonal breeder, with most activity happening between October and February. It nests in a cavity dug into an earth bank, usually 50 to 100 cm (20–39 in) deep, which ends in a chamber 20 cm (7.9 in) in diameter. The female incubates the two to four shiny white eggs alone, although the male may feed her during the incubation period. Both parents feed the chicks.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye
Platysteira concreta
Small, distinctive, brightly colored wattle-eye. Both sexes show green or blue eye wattles and a greenish-gray back. The pattern on the underparts varies geographically: in males, either yellow or chestnut; and in females, either yellow with a diffuse chestnut throat or yellow with a well-defined diamond of chestnut on the throat. Found in thick parts of the understory of humid forest. Generally uncommon and shy. The vocalizations include high whistles, rising “wheet” notes, and lower rasping notes, often given in sequence.
Blue-throated Roller
Eurystomus gularis
A large-billed roller of primary and secondary forests that is often found sitting on branches overlooking clearings or in the canopy. Distinctive, with a bronze-colored body, a blue throat, a pale yellowish bill, and blue tail and flight feathers. Resembles and occurs alongside the related Broad-billed Roller, but Blue-throated Roller differs in its blue throat and bronzier body. Voice is a harsh “kleek,” often delivered noisily in rapid succession.
Rock Parrot
Neophema petrophila
Attractive small parrot of southwestern Australia. Dull olive-green parrot with yellowish lower belly and limited blue in folded wing. Face pale blue between eye and bill, with thin blue line between the eyes. Juvenile has yellow on face. Feeds on the ground in open coastal salt marsh and coastal grasslands. Compare Blue-winged Parrot (brighter green, with more yellow on face, large blue wing patch) and Elegant Parrot (yellower, yellow on face). Call a sharp, high-pitched "zit zit zit."
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